Seattle: Half-Day Wildlife and Whale Watching Cruise
Seattle, USA
- 3 to 5 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
You don’t have to venture into the San Juan Islands to see whales in their natural habitat—with this tour, you can board a whale-watching cruise right in downtown Seattle. Spend several hours onboard, looking for whales and learning about the area’s ecosystem from an expert naturalist. Food and beverages are available for purchase onboard.
- Take a whale-watching cruise straight from downtown's Pier 69
- Learn about whales from an onboard naturalist
- Food and drink available for purchase onboard
- Choose from two departure times to fit your schedule
What's Included
- Exhilarating 3 to 5 hour whale watching tour with an expert onboard naturalist
- Includes all applicable taxes and surcharges
- Food and Beverage for purchase
- Gratuities appreciated but not mandatory
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 2701 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98121, USA
Please arrive at the FRS Clipper Terminal, located on Seattle's waterfront at Pier 69, 45 minutes prior to scheduled departure time.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Ticket Redemption Point
2701 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98121, USA
Itinerary
Pike Place Market (Pass By)
Space Needle (Pass By)
1
Salish Sea
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Seattle Aquarium (Pass By)
Seattle Waterfront (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Michael_S
It is a most relaxing way to spend an afternoon looking for whales and wild life. The boat is spacious, clean and comfortable. The crew is very knowledgeable and shares their experiences. We highly recommend this trip.
Reviews
4.3
based on 323 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Rita_K, Jul 2026
Amazing and thoughtful tour. Clean boat. Very knowledgeable whale expert. Beautiful views. Timely tour and easy access to pier.
Karim_E, Jul 2026
This was my first-ever whale watching trip. We were fortunate enough to spot a baby orca multiple times throughout the tour. Whale watching requires patience, attention, and quick reactions, as you need to be ready to look in the right direction the moment the guide spots a whale surfacing. It is not as easy as it seems, but that is part of what makes the experience so exciting.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip with a professional crew, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable wildlife experience.
Elizabeth_L, Jul 2026
I love the experience but you ask for too much on reviews; i can say s lot with less than 100 characters
Kirsten_D, Jul 2026
Wonderful tour. Staff was knowledgeable and respectful of all wildlife and created the itinerary based on real-time scouting reports of animal activity. We were able to see a pair of gray whales and some sea lions hanging out. Well-run operation. Comfortable accommodations on the boat with extensive concessions. Easily accessible from a downtown hotel. Company even texted official photos (with a REAL camera vs my phone shots) soon after. Highly recommend!
Xinwei_D, Jul 2026
a fun tour! had the opportunity to see grey whales near shore. just a quick tip for anyone planning to go, don't forget to bring a jacket
Christie_M, Jul 2026
The staff was very pleasant and the whale expert was verg knowledgeable. They looked very hard and we did find one gray whale.
Lynn_H, Jul 2026
Took awhile to see whales but finally we saw a gray whale! We’ve never seen one before so that was very cool.
Ronald_L, Jul 2026
Wanted to see whales, and saw two! Including an apparently rare breach by a humpback. Naturalist Xack was first-rate, and boat crew was efficient and personable. A great experience!
ALLIAN_P, Jul 2026
Great experience. It was smooth from start to finish. We saw whales and other animals. The ride out and back was smooth. The naturalist was very informative and even helped us spot whales.
Hillary_R, Jul 2026
An absolutely amazing experience! Such a great crew and wonderful ride. It was so cool getting to see Humpback whales!
Sandra_W, Jul 2026
The tour team did a great job and were very friendly. We did see whales and seals. Love that they sent pictures after the trip. Guess maybe we should have realized the whales would be so far away that you really couldnt see them and a lot of the time all you saw was the top of a fin. Not the tour groups fault, they were great. But maybe adjust your expectations when you book this trip. I would go again, but with a clear understanding of what you might see.
AllisonB_G, Jul 2026
Easy to pick up ticket and board. Boat was clean. Crew was great. Most importantly, we saw a whale a bunch of times. It was a lot of fun.
Barbara_G, Jul 2026
A 4 hour trip and only saw 3 whale fins from about a mile away. Waste of morning for our 4 day trip.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We appreciate your review, Barbara. We're sorry to hear that the whale sightings didn't meet your expectations; nature can be unpredictable and regulations in Washington State require vessels to maintain a safe distance from whales to protect them. We hope you will consider joining us again in the future for a chance to see these magnificent creatures.
Joshua_C, Jul 2026
Don’t think you going to see a lot of Whales. We seen one whale and about 6 sea lions. It wasn’t exciting like I imagined but it was something to do .
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Joshua. We're sorry to hear that the whale sightings didn't meet your expectations; the sightings can vary as whales are wild animals in their natural habitat. We appreciate your feedback!
Lisa_L, Jul 2026
This was an excellent boat tour and the whales did not disappoint. We went on Tuesday July 7th in the morning. We saw several orcas and a humpback. Our tour was especially fortunate to see the orcas during a feeding ritual where they breached the surface more frequently.
I also appreciated the comforts of the ship. It was a brisk day and we chose to sit mainly in the climate controlled covered part on the bottom of the boat. It offered big windows with spectacular views. Additionally, the boat was very comfortable. It had clean restrooms, a variety of food options, and even had charging ports next to the seats. I so appreciated that since I was just using my phone to get pics. But perhaps the best part was that the naturalist on board had a large, professional camera that she took pictures with. After the tour was completed, we received a link to download the photos free of charge. Amazing! It really allowed us to stay in the moment with the wildlife. Thank you to the whole crew for a wonderful tour!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We appreciate your heartfelt feedback, Lisa! It sounds like you had an incredible time spotting orcas and a humpback whale, and we’re glad our amenities helped enhance your experience. Thank you for taking the time to share your journey with us!
Adrienne_G, Jul 2026
Excellent experience. Staff is very knowledgeable. We would do it again and recommend to our friends. Don’t forget a jacket.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Adrienne! We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you and your friends again!
GEORGIA_M, Jul 2026
Great experience, great crew! Saw gray whales and orcas. The weather was stellar! Would definitely recommend the afternoon excursion!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We appreciate your kind words and recommendation and hope to welcome you back again soon!
Sue_C, Jul 2026
Was good but a little disappointing mostly only saw fin not whole whales. Nice boat ride relaxing. But all in all he tried
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We truly appreciate your review, Sue! We hope to see you again for another chance at viewing the magnificent wildlife!
Cheryl_C, Jul 2026
Had a lot of fun. The crew was great. Took a while but we did see a whale and it was amazing. Would recommend.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We're so glad you enjoyed your cruise, Cheryl! Thank you for your kind words and recommendation!
Rob_M, Jul 2026
The crew was great and the vessle was very nice. It was brand new as of May 2026. Although we did not see any orkas, we did see a couple of gray whales and a humpback whale. We also saw some sea lions. The food on board was good as well and the naturalist aboard have interesting facts about the wildlife in the area.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We truly appreciate your feedback, Rob! We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
Matthew_S, Jun 2026
Great tour saw whales and orcas fast boat also they take pictures you can download latter so you can foucs on seeing the sea life
Mark_S, Jun 2026
Excellent tour by knowledgeable team in a very clean boat. Respectful to the whales and orcas.
Lots of educational materials for children and facts for adults.
Mithra_A, Jun 2026
Amazing! They took us out so far and we saw a family of orcas. And a humpback and some sea lions. Way better than expected
Ana_N, Jun 2026
Had a great time out in the water and getting the opportunity to see whales, sea lions, and other species. The process to board was super easy, they had food/drinks on the boat ride, and the staff were super helpful in educating us about the wildlife and what to spot for. They were super attentive and happy to answer any questions.
Peggy_C, Jun 2026
Very informative, beautiful clean boat, nice snack bar, gift shop. And whales, orcas and a gray. Great link to pictures.
Lluvia_R, Jun 2026
Great boat and crew, very comfy and friendly but we didn’t watch orcas :( ik it’s not their fault, we still watch other kind of whales
Peggy_K, Jun 2026
It was great seeing the Humpback even though it was the only whale we saw. The seals, sea lions, and porpoises were cool.
Akua_B, Jun 2026
It was a fun excursion and my friends from out of state enjoyed every minute of it. Will definitely do this again.
Stacy_D, Jun 2026
Spacious boat. Good information given to us on tour. Got to see a few whales, some sea lions. Definitely worth the money
Rebecca_T, Jun 2026
Had a great time! We saw orca and sea lions. Wish I had a better camera. The boat was comfortable and our Naturalist Alli was amazing. We learned a lot and had a wonderful tour. Beautiful views and great wildlife. Bring your jacket and I recommend pants. It is windy and gets chilly on deck while you are watching. A great deal and they even shared their pictures with us.
From $154.97
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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